NextDecade has signed an option-to-lease agreement with the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The agreement will expand the company's site to 1,000 acres for its proposed Rio Grande Liquefied Natural Gas export terminal, doubling its initial agreement.

This decision follows the company’s recently completed Basis of Design – also known as PreFEED – for the LNG terminal facility and its accompanying 130-mile Rio Bravo Pipeline linking the terminal with the Agua Dulce market hub. NextDecade is currently preparing to kick off FEED.

"NextDecade has taken a major step forward by securing such a prime site for our Rio Grande LNG project," said Kathleen Eisbrenner, Founder/CEO of NextDecade. "We have worked diligently to complete our Basis of Design to ensure a competitive, well thought out and executable project and are committed to working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), our industry-leading partners and the local community to bring this project to fruition."

According to the firm, the Rio Grande LNG site, located on the northern shore of the Brownsville Ship Channel, provides an optimal location for an LNG export terminal with substantial expansion opportunities. Securing a sizable site with deep-water access represents one of the more significant milestones for LNG projects. In addition, the RGLNG site is close to the Gulf, providing access to major global LNG markets, while the additional acreage will provide increased design flexibility and expansion capability, greatly increasing the attractiveness of the project both to potential off-takers and investors.

NextDecade is currently engaged in a detailed assessment of every aspect of the site to ensure that all safety and environmental requirements are met as it prepares for initial FERC pre-filing process submissions later this month, and is actively conducting community consultations, company officials said.

Port of Brownsville Director/ CEO Eduardo A. Campirano said, "The Port of Brownsville welcomes NextDecade's interest in the Port. The development of a project such as this will bring jobs and additional economic development to the entire Rio Grande Valley."